Issues concerning libraries and the law - with latitude to discuss any other interesting issues Note: Not legal advice - just a dangerous mix of thoughts and information. Brought to you by Mary Minow, J.D., A.M.L.S. [California, U.S.] and Peter Hirtle, M.A., M.L.S. Follow us on twitter @librarylaw

Preservation versus Access: a very surprising analysis of library copyright law

Like many others, I had always viewed Section 108(b) as the "preservation" clause that allows libraries and archives to make copies for preservation of unpublished materials. Hirtle takes a very close look at the legislative history, however, which shows that "Congress was primarily concerned with increasing scholarly access to unpublished materials."